Lake Bell
Born: March 24 1979
Where: New York, USA
The actress has impressed in roles ranging from an eager young attorney in Boston Legal to the flaky psychic Ashley in the rom-com Over Her Dead Body.
The daughter of a senior designer at a decorating firm, she attended school in Connecticut and New York before transferring to London's Rose Bruford drama college.
She subsequently landed roles in several theatrical productions, including The Seagull and The Pentecost.
She remained in London for a year after graduating, then relocated to Los Angeles, California.
She made her big screen debut in the largely unseen comedy Slammed and the drama Speakeasy with David Strathairn.
Bell landed her first big job with the lead female role in TV's War Stories, also starring Jeff Goldblum.
She made two guest appearances on ER in 2002 and then went on to play Alicia Silverstone's wisecracking best friend, Victoria in Miss Match.
The following year she appeared in director Adam Goldberg's drama I Love Your Work alongside Judy Greer and Marisa Coughlan.
In 2004, Bell made her debut as Sally Heep in The Practice, and her character was carried over into the series offshoot, Boston Legal, where she was made a regular cast member.
Bell went on to play the lead role in the sci-fi show Surface and returned to Boston Legal alongside William Shatner and James Spader.
In 2006, she starred in the tasteless slasher movie Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders and also played Dr Laura Daughterly in the US TV series Surface.
In 2008, she played the caterer who falls in love with Paul Rudd's grieving fiance in the rom-com Over Here Dead Body.
She subsequently appeared in the thriller Still Life and also appeared alongside Colin Farrell (with home she was romantically involved) in the crime-drama Pride & Glory.
